We missed this the other day, but the White House has finally responded to an online petition asking that MPAA CEO and former Connecticut Senator (D) Chris Dodd be investigated for his comments about giving money to lawmakers in return for favorable results.

"This industry is watching very carefully who's going to stand up for them when their job is at stake," Dodd told Fox News on Jan. 19. "Don't ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don't pay any attention to me when my job is at stake."

This comment triggered widespread outrage on the Internet and motivated 31,034 people to sign a petition on Whitehouse.gov.

But those 31,034 people will not be happy with the Obama Administration's response. Basically the White House said that it can't comment on it because it violates the "We the People Terms of Participation" clause. From the White House response:

Thank you for signing this petition. We appreciate your participation in the We the People platform on Whitehouse.gov. However, consistent with the We the People Terms of Participation and our responses to similar petitions in the past, the White House declines to comment on this petition because it requests a specific law enforcement action.

So there you are. If this response is inadequate to you, we recommend you take the fight to your elected representative.

Comments

If they did have an investigation going and were looking into allegations then they couldn't comment on it because it was an ongoing criminal investigation and they risk everything by talking about. The fact that they actually say they can't comment is really a good sign. If nothing was going to be done by a law enforcement agency about this they probably could and would tell us that. The fact that they won't say probably means they are at least looking at it.

This whole thing is so overblown. I donate money to your campaign and vote for you. If you don't come through for me, then I will start sending my money to another candidate and vote for them. What is so dishonest about that? Individual people do the same thing. How many people would stop sending campaign contributions to the Democratic party if they started backing a bill that blocks gay marriage or abortion? Same thing.

While I loath the MPAA/RIAA and Dobb I have to agree here.. it is their right to donate to candidates who support what they want and not fund candidates who turn around and withdraw support when pressure is put on them.

However, I think he worded it in a way that really raised people's ire since it was such a blatant example of 'we have lots of money, so we will punish you if you vote with your constituents rather then us', it has become a bit of a symbol for what is wrong with the system.

This is because Obama's entire Presidential career everything Obama pushed was pushed, enforced, and written by Chris Dodd. All Obama's unpopular measures which the left wing media and blogs don't talk about were pushed again by Dodd.

Welcome to feeling helpless as Obama ignores you and does what he wants. Obama and Dodd are too tight and his vision of America and the way Obama wishes to shape us leaning towards a European Social Welfare State depending on the Government Dodd has been working for years towards this goal.

Whether its the housing crisis, this or pretty much making sure there is no such thing as a free bank account for someone who can manage a check book Chris Dodd has helped shape this.

I am surprised Fox News isn't talking about this because they been after Dodd for years.

Dodd as been a Liberal Icon for years Obama will not throw him under the bus. All his policies again are intertwined with Dodd in one shape or another

Wait, are you telling me Obama is trying to model US policy off countries with higher standards of living and quality of life? How dare he! I demand that he use models based of failed 3rd world countries instead! It is unamerican to do what actually works!

I still don't see what people expected Obama to do. It's not like he could serious demand the MPAA or Dodd be investigated on charges of lobbying. While lobbying should be illegal, it isn't, and probably never will be.

It wasn't the lobbying that inspired this petition. It was the flat out comment from Dodd in which he said that the MPAA paid money to congressmen and they demanded to get their laws passed. That is a bit different from lobbying.

That's pretty much exactly how politics works. People with money give that money to politicians campaigns because they expect those politicians to advance their agendas. If that doesn't happen, the money gets cut off. Like I've been saying, the only thing Dodd did wrong here is admit it in a public venue.

That's pretty much exactly [what's wrong with] how politics works. People with money give that money to politicians campaigns because they expect those politicians to advance their agendas. If that doesn't happen, the money gets cut off. Like I've been saying, the only thing Dodd [and everyone else] did wrong here is [take money for causes that don't represent their constituency and then] admit it in a public venue.

Look a the Clinton sex scandal.. congressional investigators took something that was pretty common in high government, something that anyone who follows history knows happens left and right, and twisted it into something impeachable.

Our legal system is flexible enough that if you really want to push the PR you can throw someone under a bus, even if the final verdict is in their favor. It does not matter if the person did something that is actually illegal.

Eric Holder has more important things to worry about. Right now he might be arrested if he doesn't produce documents in regards to Operation Fast and Furious meant to trap White Republican Gun Lovers instead they were intercepted by MS-13 (the gang which almost overthrew the Mexican Government) and now MS-13 instead of cutting off the heads of a family and lining them up in the front room of a home they now use these traceable guns which was an attempt at a gotcha are now used to kill foreign officials and American officials

Keep it real Eric Holder! I still think he should be arrested for releasing the Black Panthers found guilty of blocking poll booths for anyone white during the Presidential Elections but that is a whole nother story.